Personal Bio
Current Roles
Development Coordinator, Cliara Development Company, Clare Island, County Mayo, Ireland 2020 -
Responsibilities include development and implementation of projects to enhance island development, sustainability and cultural identity. Ongoing activities include
- Island wide participative planning process for rural and community regeneration
- Restoration of Granuaile Castle and the construction of an interpretative Centre,
- Island co-working hub, remote learning, teaching and conference facilities.
- Multiparty virtual health Living Lab on Clare Island with HSE Digital Transformation, CISCO, Apple and NUIG
- Development of Clare Island film and digital storytelling festival and training program
- SEAI Energy Master Planning process
- Lobbying of local and national government on infrastructure development and participation in decision making
- Representation of Clare Island on the European Small Islands Network and Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann
Background
Born in Galway, Ireland, I hold dual Irish and Peruvian citizenship. A barrister by training, over the past 30 years my work has focused largely on corporate, intellectual property, environmental, and human rights law. Consultancy services have been provided to governments, international bodies, nongovernmental organizations, local communities and private sector actors. This has been complemented with active participation in international negotiating forums including the Convention on Biological Diversity, World Intellectual Property Rights Organization and Harvard Oil Dialogues.
Previous positions include
Senior Legal Adviser, Mercury Communications Limited - UK 1989-91
Coordinator of International Law and Biodiversity Program, Peruvian Environmental Law Society (SPDA) -Peru 1993-96
Coordinator, Association for the Defence of the Rights of Nature -Peru 1997-2002,
Research Fellow, United Nations University - Japan 2003-2007
Consultant environment, development and human rights 2007 -2012
Research Fellow, Griffith Law School – Australia 2012 -2016
Honorary Roles
World Commission on Environmental Law, IUCN 2015 -
Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors, Int’l Advisory Committee 2011 - 14
Natural Justice, International Advisory Board 2009-12
Member of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Technical Experts 2007
Member of CBD Expert Group on Technology Transfer 2005
Member the CBD Panel of Experts on Access and Benefit Sharing 1999
Awards
Marie Sklodowska - Curie Individual Fellowship 2020 -
Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, PhD Fellowship 2009-2011
Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurs (lifetime member) 1997 -
Education
B.A. Political and Legal Science, University College Galway 1980
LL.B. (Hons.) University College Galway 1984
Diploma European Law, University College Dublin 1986
Barrister-at-law. Honorable Society of the King's Inns, 1986
PhD. National University of Ireland Galway 2011
Hobbies include photography, hill walking, diving and shooting the breeze.
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